A/N: Okay, I know that I've posted a bunch of fics with Tommy's POV on my childofdarkness1988 acct, but here's something PikachuCranstonGirl and I cooked up.
Disclaimer: Did you really think we owned Power Rangers and Brittney Spear's Everytime? You must be more insane than we are!
Kimberly Anne Hart looked through the photos in her old yearbooks as she sat with her eleven year old daughter on a plane bound for Angel Grove.
"Hey Mom… why does that guy's picture have hearts all around it? Did you love him?" Dakota asked pointing at the one picture in the entire book that could reduce the original pink ranger to tears.
"It doesn't matter anymore Dakota… buckle back up sweetie, the plane is going to be landing soon, and it's better to be safe than sorry."
"Mom, you are so weird. I know he means something special to you, I've seen you looking at this page when I was little and you would cry all the time, especially after Daddy left." Dakota smiled knowingly at her mother and buckled in.
"I'll tell you about him when you're older."
"That's what you said when I was in third grade… But I guess I can wait."
Kimberly and Dakota walked into the Juice Bar.
"Okay, so you're telling me that you used to go here for smoothies? Jeez mom, I knew you liked health food, but smoothies? Ick!"
"You won't be saying that when you're in high school and need the extra boost of energy." Kim said, smiling as she caught sight of Ernie behind the counter, talking to some teenagers.
"Ahem… Um, could I order a small strawberry smoothie and um…" Kimberly trailed off, giving her daughter a stern look. "Dakota, what do you want."
"Well, seeing as soda isn't on the menu, I think I'll go find the vending machines."
"Dakota Amber Hart, you had soda on the plane here, get a smoothie, just because ones you've had before were disgusting doesn't mean that Ernie's are. Trust me, after several years of coming here after school, you can tell the difference if you go somewhere else."
"Fine, I'll have the same thing as my mom!" Dakota grinned mischievously at Ernie only the way an eleven year old member of the Hart family could.
"Well, if it isn't Kimberly! And I assume this is stunning young lady here is your daughter?" Ernie raised an eyebrow.
"Yes it is, Ernie, this is Dakota, Dakota, Ernie…" Ernie laughed.
"Well, I thought I'd be seeing you here soon since your old friends started showing up out of the blue. The only two I haven't seen this week are Tommy and Billy, no doubt Tommy is going to show up late as usual."
"Yeah…" Kimberly forced a smile as Ernie handed her their smoothies.
"Who are Tommy and Billy?" Dakota asked when they got to a small table and sat down.
"Just some old friends, last I heard, Billy was exploring space and well… I have no clue about Tommy…" Kimberly half lied. It wasn't exactly a lie that Billy was exploring space, it was just a half truth.
"Oh…" Dakota said, then taking a sip of her smoothie. "Mmm, Mom this is a million times better than the ones at Kelly's…" Just then a tall, dark blonde man walked in, wearing a blue Levi jacket and light blue pants.
"Billy!" Kimberly exclaimed, recognizing the man almost immediately.
"Kim… How are you doing these days? It's been what… 13, 14 years? I could be off you know…"
"Last I checked it's been 12 years. Billy, I'd like you to meet my daughter, Dakota. Dakota, watch out, you may be an A+ student, but Billy is a genius."
"Yeah, yeah, I know…"
Kimberly looked at all those who had made it to the reunion. Jason was there, although he seemed quite anxious and he seemed to have put on some weight. Trini, Zack, Billy, and tons of other people that Kimberly didn't even know the names of seemed to have made it except for Tommy, something that seemed to put many out of ease.
"Jason, I thought Tommy was going to be here… Is something wrong?" Jason looked at Kim worriedly, lines indented in his forehead.
"I don't know Kim, when I called he said he'd make it… Thing is he's coming from… where was it he said he was living… Reefside… I know it's not as far as you and others have come from, but still, they've got a lot going on there… He could have been attacked for all I know…" Jason said right before they were interrupted by an exuberant teen in red that Kim knew hadn't been at the party a few minutes ago.
"WOAH, hey you guys, Look, its Jason Scott, the first…"
"Yeah, yeah, Connor, we know…" said a girl in yellow, playfully socking the shoulder of the boy in red.
"Um, who are you guys."
"What you've never heard of the Dino Thunder Rangers?"
"Sorry, Kira, but I'll bet the last book he read was Goldilocks and the Three Bears." Said a boy in blue.
"Ethan… Please, stop cracking us all up!" a boy in white clapped his hand on Ethan and Kira's shoulders. "Really, I'd cut it out before you-know-who manages to actually park the jeep…"
"Yes, please do, although it's a little late for escaping my wrath of detentions for a year as well as cleaning off any fossils that we manage to get on the next dig." Jason's eyes lighted up when he saw the speaker.
"Dang!" Ethan exclaimed.
"Aw Man…" Trent mock glared at his teacher.
"Busted…" Connor said, staring at his shoes.
"You got that right; of course I'm innocent unlike you three!" Kira glared at the three boys.
"Okay, we'll chill Jeez Kira!"
"Tommy… and to think that you had gotten rid of your habit of always being late." Jason said, shaking his head in defeat.
"Well, it's not like you had to be up at 1 am just to fight a bunch of Tyrannodrones."
Kimberly watched Tommy, afraid to let him see that she still needs him. Of course, the feelings were mutual, but Kimberly couldn't see through the delicately carved mask.
Notice me, and take my hand
And so why are we strangers when
Our love is strong
Why carry on without me...
Kimberly could see now where she had gone wrong. Matt had never really cared and had run off when she had told him about her pregnancy with Dakota. Somehow she knew Tommy would have never run off and left her alone.
"Hello Tommy…" she forced a smile.
"Hey Kim…" Little did she know that Tommy was forcing down emotions that had been bottled in for years.
And every time I try to fly, I fall
Without my wings, I feel so small
I guess I need you, baby
And every time I see you in my dreams
I see your face, it's haunting me
I guess I need you, baby
If only she could tell him how much his memory haunted her at night and just about all the time.
"So, how are you doing?" Kim asked, wondering what he had done with his life.
I make believe that you are here
It's the only way I see clear
What have I done?
You seem to move on easy
"I'm doing well… I teach 5 periods of High School Science, and then on my off time I'm either downing a coffee or out trying to save the world as usual…" Tommy said, masking anything that might make Kim think he was unhappy. "What about you?"
"Well, I uh… teach Gymnastics in Florida at a small but quaint Gymnastics school. I'm kind of surprised you're still a ranger… Were those teens that came with you your team?"
And every time I try to fly, I fall
Without my wings, I feel so small
I guess I need you, baby
And every time I see you in my dreams
I see your face, its haunting me
I guess I need you, baby
"Yeah…" Kim looked at the faraway look in Tommy's eyes as he stared at the greenery around the park.
"So I assume you're not the Red ranger?"
"Nope, got drafted for black last minute…"
"So… uh…" Kimberly looked at his hands, noticing the lack of a wedding band. "You're not married at all?"
"Never had the time… And besides, it's hard enough keeping the fact that I'm a power ranger from the public, it's even harder to keep it from those who actually know me."
"Oh…" In her heart, she knew that it was her fault that he remained unmarried.
I may have made it rain
Please forgive me
My weakness caused you pain
And this song's my sorry
"What about you? You don't have a ring either? What's going on, I could have sworn that Jason said you had a daughter a couple years ago."
"Never married… My ex-fiancé left when I told him I was pregnant…"
"Oh…" That faraway look never seemed to leave his face throughout the conversation, although Kim assumed she must have a similar look in her eyes as she remembered every bit of time she had spent with Tommy back in the old days.
At night I pray
That soon your face will fade away
Perhaps now that she could see that he was happy the haunting dreams of him calling her name would cease.
"Uh, Dr. O, Haley's calling us, Mesogog kidnapped her!" Connor called.
"I have to go, it was nice seeing you again, Kim. Take care…" Tommy got up and ran with the teens from the park.
"No… Wait…" Kim whispered upon the wind, somehow knowing she would never be able to say she was sorry and patch things up between them.
And every time I try to fly, I fall
Without my wings, I feel so small
I guess I need you, baby
And every time I see you in my dreams
I see your face, its haunting me
I guess I need you, baby…
A/N: Well you know the drill, read and review, flames will light the barbecue… Thanks for reading!